Spirited Ulster edged out by Ospreys despite battling display

Ulster 8-16 Ospreys

While last week, the Welshmen were able to toy with Ulster, they found things a little more difficult in the back-to-back fixture, but still had enough to ease home without finding top gear.

Ulster, though playing with more venom of late at the breakdown, did not trouble the visitors in the red zone and it was no surprise when indiscipline allowed the Welshmen to ease in front when James Hook rattled over two rapid-fire penalties in the 11th and 14th minutes.

Referee Malcolm Changleng didn’t endear himself to the home fans with some decisions, but when he did finally manage to award Ulster a penalty 28 metres out from the Ospreys line, new fly-half Niall O’Connor obliged in the 17th minute.

The game began to get a bit tasty after that with Matt McCullough, who was making his 100th appearance for Ulster, swapping handbags with Alan Wyn Jones which went unnoticed by Mr Changleng.

Ulster then lifted the game out of the sea of rugby mediocrity when Danielli was put away down the left wing and a splendid inside, outside swerve took him past full-back Lee Byrne and past the covering Justin Marshall to crash over in the corner to allow his side to sneak into an 8-6 half-time lead.

Ospreys skipper Filo Tiatia jumped high at the back of the line-out in the second half and in one movement fed scrum-half Justin Marshall who cut through a gaping hole in the line-out to trot in under the posts from 25 metres in the 52nd minute.

Hook landed the conversion before banging a penalty four minutes later after Ryan Caldwell lay prostate the wrong side of the ruck and received a yellow card for his trouble.

The Welshmen finished the stronger but Ulster did not capitulatelike the seven-try bashing last week.

ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Bowe, A Trimble, R Dewey, S Danielli; N O’Connor, K Campbell; B Young, R Best, capt, D Fitzpatrick, J Harrison, R Caldwell, N Best, K Dawson, M McCullough.

Replacements: T Court for Fitzpatrick (73), C Del Fava for Harrison (67), D Pollock for Dawson (60), I Boss for Campbell (56), P Wallace for O’Connor (56).

Scorers: Try: Danielli; Pen: O’Connor;

OSPREYS: L Byrne; N Walker, M Taylor, S Parker, S Williams; J Hook, J Marshall; D Jones, H Bennett, A Jones, AW Jones, I Evans, J Thomas, M Holah, F Tiatia, capt.

Replacements: R Hibbard for Bennett (75), P James for D Jones (75), I Gough for I Evans (75), H T-Pole for Thomas (76), M Phillips for Marshall (72), S Connor for Hook (72), A Bishop for Taylor (79)

Scorers: Try: Marshall; Pens: Hook 3; Cons: Hook.

Referee: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland).